Lean manufacturing plays an important role in our economy, yet it is almost unknown to outside manufacturing. It is important to know that lean manufacturing is about our individual lives and how we can all benefit from this concept. With the current slow economic recovery, it is imperative to find ways that allow consumers to overcome these difficult times, but also implement the values ​​learned in future reflection. With the rising cost of goods and high unemployment, lean manufacturing helps keep costs low and jobs in America where they belong. When we think about process manufacturing or the assembly line, many attribute this concept to Henry Ford. The introduction of the continuous process in the late 1890s was to produce a product from start to finish on an assembly line and the concept was revolutionary; the people didn't move but the product did. Ford's financial return from this successful concept meant offering a less expensive product without sacrificing superior quality. Then in the 1940s Taiichi Ohno, a mechanical engineer for Toyota Corporation based in Japan, is credited for developing the "Toyota Production System", also known as Lean Manufacturing, delved into Henry Ford's concept and further developed the concept of movement and flow of material. in the production process. This system would further analyze motion waste and look more closely at reducing or even eliminating excess motion or motion to recover tools or product during the manufacturing of a product. For example, if a person has groceries and needs to carry bags into the house, it is a shorter distance to park in a garage where a person is closer to the door than to park on the street and travel the great distance... .. .middle of paper......people are going back to work and refocusing on the American dream and planning for our financial security until retirement age. Works Cited A Brief History of Lean Manufacturing. and Paul Swift. March 19, 2012. Davidson, Paolo. Lean manufacturing helps companies survive recessions. Ed. Brent Jones. March 3, 2009. March 19, 2012. Eliyahu M. Goldratt, Jeff Cox. The goal: a process of continuous improvement. New York: North River Press, 1984. Rosen, James. “‘Lean’ Manufacturing Takes Root in U.S.” April 29, 2011. FoxNews.com. March 19, 2012 .Sato, Tomaichi. “Production Management and Planning: Tomoichi Sato.” Lean manufacturing in Japan. Warren Harrod. nd. 2.